Strictly's Dianne Buswell receives wave of support after heartbreaking family death

Strictly Come Dancing’s Dianne Buswell has received a wave of love and condolences after announcing the death of her grandfather, who passed away at the age of 99.

The professional dancer, 36, posted a moving video montage on Instagram to honour her beloved “pop.” The clips included sweet moments with her grandfather from a joyful surprise visit where he exclaimed: “Well, I’ll be,” to a playful race down a hallway as Dianne laughed, “Gonna have a race with me.”

“Rest in peace pop,” she wrote alongside the video. “You were 99 years young. Thank you for all the stories and I just know you will be up there dancing with Nan already.”

Her tribute was met with heartfelt support from friends, colleagues, and fans. Fellow Strictly pro Vito Coppola responded with a red heart and praying hands emoji, while Michelle Tsiakkas commented: “I'm so sorry for your loss Di. Sending you and your family all my love.”

Fans also flooded the comments with messages of comfort. One wrote: “99 years young and etched in our hearts forever,” and another added: “Such sad news! What a legend your pop was. He’ll be looking down on you in awe of what you’re doing.”

This latest loss comes just weeks after Dianne shared that her grandmother had also passed away. Posting a clip of her nan back home in Australia, she wrote: “Rest in peace nan. Love you very much,” adding, “I’m so grateful I was home to say goodbye to such a special lady in my life. Now go be with pop - he has been patiently waiting for you.”

The back-to-back losses have resonated with followers, many of whom praised Dianne for being so open about her grief.

She has long spoken about the importance of family. Last year, she shared a touching update about her father Mark completing six months of chemotherapy. “To my daddy—you did it,” she wrote. “Twelve rounds done. I am so so PROUD of you.”

She also acknowledged her mum’s unwavering support throughout his treatment: “To my beautiful mum who has not left your side and been the best support system ever, thank you.”

Although she hasn’t yet confirmed her return to the upcoming series of Strictly, Dianne remains one of the show’s most loved professionals — known not just for her talent on the dance floor, but for her resilience and warmth off it.

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